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HMMT, 2013

Geometry Difficulty 4.8 AIME Prove it United States

Problem:

Let triangle ABCABC satisfy 2BC=AB+AC2 BC = AB + AC and have incenter II and circumcircle ω\omega. Let DD be the intersection of AIAI and ω\omega (with A,DA, D distinct). Prove that II is the midpoint of ADAD.

Solutions — 3

Solution 1

Solution:

Since ADAD is an angle bisector, DD is the midpoint of arc⁡BC\operatorname{arc} BC opposite AA on ω\omega. It is well-known that B,IB, I, and CC lie on a circle centered at DD. Thus BD=DC=DIBD = DC = DI. Applying Ptolemy's theorem to cyclic quadrilateral ABDCABDC, we get
AB⋅DC+AC⋅BD=AD⋅BC=AD⋅(AB+AC)/2 AB \cdot DC + AC \cdot BD = AD \cdot BC = AD \cdot (AB + AC)/2
Using BD=DCBD = DC we have immediately that AD=2BD=2DIAD = 2 BD = 2 DI so II is the midpoint of ADAD as desired.

Solution 2

Solution:

Let PP and QQ be the midpoints of ABAB and ACAC, and take the point EE on segment BCBC such that BE=BPBE = BP. Note that CE=AB−BE=AB−BP=AB+AC2−AB2=AC2=CQCE = AB - BE = AB - BP = \frac{AB + AC}{2} - \frac{AB}{2} = \frac{AC}{2} = CQ, so triangles BPEBPE and CQECQE are isosceles. In addition, BEEC=AB/2AC/2=ABAC\frac{BE}{EC} = \frac{AB/2}{AC/2} = \frac{AB}{AC}, so by the angle bisector theorem, AEAE bisects ∠CAB\angle CAB, whence EE must lie on the bisector of ∠A\angle A.

Since triangles BPEBPE and CQECQE are isosceles, the bisectors of angles BB and CC are the perpendicular bisectors of segments PEPE and EQEQ, respectively. Thus, the circumcenter of △PQE\triangle PQE is II, so the perpendicular bisector of PQPQ meets the bisector of ∠A\angle A at II.

Furthermore, since ∠DAB=∠CAD\angle DAB = \angle CAD, arcs BD^\widehat{BD} and DC^\widehat{DC} have the same measure, so BD=DCBD = DC, whence the perpendicular bisector of BCBC meets the bisector of ∠A\angle A at DD. A homothety centered at AA with factor 1/21/2 maps BCBC to PQPQ, and so maps DD to II. Thus, DD is the midpoint of AIAI.

Solution 3

Solution:

Let a=BCa = BC, b=CAb = CA, and c=ABc = AB, let rr and RR denote the lengths of the inradius and circumradius of △ABC\triangle ABC, respectively, let EE be the intersection of segments ADAD and BCBC, and let OO be the circumcenter of △ABC\triangle ABC. II is the midpoint of chord ADAD if and only if OI⊥ADOI \perp AD, which is true if and only if OA2=OI2+AI2OA^2 = OI^2 + AI^2. By Euler's distance formula, OI2=R(R−2r)OI^2 = R(R - 2r), and by Stewart's theorem and the angle bisector theorem we can find
AI2=(b+ca+b+c)2bc(1−(ab+c)2)=bc3. AI^2 = \left(\frac{b + c}{a + b + c}\right)^2 bc \left(1 - \left(\frac{a}{b + c}\right)^2\right) = \frac{bc}{3}.
Thus, it remains to show that 6Rr=bc6Rr = bc.

Now, we use the well-known formulas abc4K=R\frac{abc}{4K} = R and K=rsK = rs to get abc=4Rrsabc = 4Rrs, where KK is the area of △ABC\triangle ABC and ss is its semiperimeter. We have
bc=Rr4sa=Rr2a+2(b+c)a=Rr2a+2(2a)a=6Rr, bc = Rr \frac{4s}{a} = Rr \frac{2a + 2(b + c)}{a} = Rr \frac{2a + 2(2a)}{a} = 6Rr,
as desired.

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